The Matchmaker
by Jessie Katz
Summary: Kaoru decides to be the matchmaker. From her best friend Sano, to the typical tomboyish girlnextdoor Misao.. Will she matchmake, or matchbreak, their relationship? Or.. will she matchmake her own? AU Kaoru x A.. secret! Find out, full summary inside
1. Prologue

**Introduction**

I want to start with a standard disclaimer.

_Rurouni Kenshin is rightfully owned by Nobuhiro Watsuki. This particular fanfic, and its use of Watsuki's RK characters, are mainly for entertainment only._

_**Summary: **__Who ends up with whom?_

Since her father died, Kaoru starts to loose her usual self – her bright, free-spirited, passionate self. When she finally realizes that she have to snap out of the gloomy trance, she sells her home and moves in to an apartment building owned by her ever-so-handsome friend, Aoshi.

From there, she meets interesting people – with not-so-interesting lives. So, an idea struck her! Why not play the twister, and be the matchmaker?

Starting with her best friend Sano, to the typical tomboyish girl-next-door Misao, Kaoru tries to matched each of them with the "right person".

Will she match-make, or match-break, their relationship?

Or will she match-make her own?

**

* * *

**

THE MATCHMAKER

Prolgoue

* * *

_To: Kenshin Himura_

_Subject: Re: Hi_

_Hello Kenshin_

_How are you doing? It's been a while…_

_Hope you're doing well. (I can't bear the thought if you're not.)_

_As for me, I'm doing good, I guess. Well, I've never felt better since father died. So please don't worry too much about me._

_Guess what? I've been thinking of selling the dojo, and move in somewhere else._

_What do you think?_

_Does it sound like a great idea?_

_P.S. I'll be waiting for your response… As always!_

_Take care, OK!_

_--- Kaoru_

… **ENTER**…

… **Message sending**…

… **Message sent**…

**

* * *

**

"Are you sure about this?"

Kaoru adjusts the 'FOR SALE' sign. She does not answer the question, not immediately. Instead, she takes a few steps back, stopping beside the man. She surveys the dojo, the place where she lives all her life. All her precious memories flash back before her eyes so quickly – the koi pond in the garden, under the cherry blossoms trees where she used to practice on her kendo with her father, the house that she cleaned a thousand times from top to bottom, and everything else that is Kamiya Dojo. Her thoughts threaten to choke her.

Brushing the memories – and the choking feeling, and the burning feeling in her eyes – away, she whips her head (a bit harshly, making her squint against the glaring sunlight) towards the very tall man beside her, and says with a fake, bright smile, "Absolutely."

The man beside her looks at her face with veiled concern in his cool blue eyes for a moment, but says nothing.

He knows very well how the dojo is very important to her. It's also been home of the family for generations. He is very concerned about Kaoru's decision to sell the whole place, because he could not comprehend the logic behind it.

How he hates the brashness of her actions.

"I couldn't level with your compulsiveness, Kaoru," he sighs, clearly irritated.

And he couldn't also keep quiet about it.

"You know, you'll going to regret this. One way, or another."

When she sees they way he purses his lips, she bits back her retort. (Of course, she's more than capable of throwing back a retort anytime, despite this overly serious man glowering above her. Yet... she also knows when not to.)

"Where will you stay?"

She thinks about it for a moment, her eyes fix in front of the dojo. _Well, the soon to be ex-Kamiya Dojo, _she muses, sadly.

"Do you still have a vacant flat in your building apartment, Aoshi?"

**

* * *

**

_To: Kaoru Kamiya_

_Subject: Re: Re: Hi_

_Hello to you too, Miss Kaoru._

_It's great to hear from you again… sincerely said._

_I'm doing okay, just a bit busy at work. Quite tiring, though._

_But don't you worry! It's perfectly normal for an ageing guy like me… ehehe._

_About the dojo… are you really sure about selling it?_

_I mean, it's a crucial decision if you sell it. I know how important it is to you… and your father._

_Won't you miss your home?_

_Please think about it very carefully, Miss Kaoru._

_P.S. And what does Aoshi have to say about it? Did you tell him already?_

_Please, please try to re-think your decision._

_P.S.S. Give my regards to everyone._

_Take care, Kaoru..._

_Or I'm going to be completely worried._

_Kenshin_

… **ENTER**…

… **Message sending**…

… **Message sent**…

**

* * *

Author's Notes**

Hoped you like it…

I know, a bit of a cliffhanger.

If that's the case… then stay tuned.

_End notes_

It's true that I'm quite popular for being a starts-a-fanfic-but-never-finishes-it writer, and even more popular for being an ever-so-late-to-update-a-fanfic-chapter writer. I sincerely apologize for it.

For starting this RK fanfic… I couldn't resist the constant shouting and stomping of my muse. So, I gave in.

This particular story is already planned – from the beginning till end… So it's possible for me to update this story more often than my YYH stories (which are more like pre-planned fics).

This is also a shift from my initial "dark" (if I may call it) fics. This is very light-hearted (I'll try not to twist it so much, though).

The main pairing in this story... I know you're a smart reader... It's easy to figure out.

_I'm opening my personal site soon. All my works will be initially uploaded there (before here). It will contain more references and complete story guides of all my fics. I'll inform you when the site becomes available._

_**--- Jessie Katz**_


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:**I don't own RK.

* * *

**THE MATCHMAKER**

**Chapter One**

* * *

_**To:**__ Kenshin Himura_

_**Subject:**__ Hi again!_

_Hello._

_It's good that you're OK._

_Anyway, you're right about how tough it is to decide on whether to sell it. But it's also hard for me to stay there._

_The longer I stay, the longer I'd be reminded of how lonely my life is now._

_I already told Aoshi about it. He tried to talk me out of selling it. But if you can't persuade me, then there is no way he can do otherwise._

_The proceeds are quite big, so I've decided to donate all of it._

_I'd be fine. I'm perfectly capable of managing myself, I guess._

_I'm moving at Aoshi's place. NOT his place-place. Don't get any ideas. I meant I'll be renting one of his flats._

_I got a hard time persuading him about it. I couldn't understand why he's being difficult. Can you talk to him? He's giving me a hard time._

_And, surprise-surprise! He's starting to talk too much to me now… technically it's called scolding._

_P.S. Please talk to him. Reprimand him. I know he would listen to you, and NEVER to me. He thinks I'm a child._

_Well, I'm 25 years-old._

_Tell him that too._

_P.S. Don't over-work yourself!_

_Pls. reply._

_- Kaoru_

… **SEND**…

… **Message sending**…

… **Message sent**…

* * *

_**One morning, more than two weeks ago…**_

_Kaoru peered from beneath the covers to check the alarm clock._

_10:30 AM._

'_Not bad,' she thought. Yesterday it took her until 2 PM before she felt the urge to off the bed. Two to four months ago were worst. She stayed on the whole day for every single day. The only times that she got out off bed were the times when Aoshi or Sano came to check up on her: three times a week for Aoshi, and twice for Sano._

_More minutes passed with her staring at the ceiling, not a single thought in her head, she checked on the clock again._

_10:53 AM._

_Before she could avoid it, her eyes caught the picture beside the clock. It was a picture of her and her father's. It was taken in their garden, under one of their cherry blossoms trees. Her father was sitting on a chair and she was leaning behind him, with her arms around his neck; cheek to cheek. Both were beaming._

_He was the only precious person left to her. Her mother died when she was two years old. She could not remember a thing about her – not one. (She wished she could). Her father posed as a father and a mother to her. (He decided not to remarry again, in respect to Kaoru's dead mother). He did not have a hard time in doing so, though._

_For Kaoru, he was the kindest, most understanding, loving father in the whole world. No one can beat him to it. Not even Kenshin. (She feels like Kenshin is trying to hold something back from her, like he does not trust her at all.)_

_A little more than four months ago, Kaoru's father had a heart attack. He did not make it to the hospital. He died inside the ambulance. Kaoru could not stop the choking feeling as she recalled how her father's grip on her hand was slowly loosening – as life itself was starting to breakaway from his body. It was turmoil inside the ambulance. She could not stop from crying as the medics were trying to revive him. But it was hopeless when the machine beeped in a monotonous ding. Everything in the hospital happened so fast. Her father was taken to the hospital morgue, and in the next minute, she found herself crushed tightly in Aoshi's arms. And she did the only thing she can then. Cry. Not bothering if she soaked Aoshi's obviously expensive shirt._

_Sounds of footsteps outside her room rushed her out of her reveries. And after a couple of seconds, she heard a knock on her door._

_Aoshi._

_(If it's Sano, he won't even bother to knock, would just barge in, unceremoniously of course. Aoshi and Sano see to it that her door knob did not a lock on it.)_

_As usual, she did not bother to answer him with a 'Come in' or even a 'Go away; she just threw back the covers over head._

_Aoshi waited for several heartbeats, then finally decided to go inside her room. Mumbling a 'Get up' as he made his way to the bathroom to prepare her bath. "I've already made your breakfast downstairs," he said from the bathroom._

_With the covers still thrown over her, she wiped her tears, and just sighed. 'Go away. Go-away- Go-away- Go-away- Go-away- Go-away- Go-away- Go-away- Go-away- Go-away-' she chanted with herself._

"_Kaoru-"_

"_Why don't you just go away, Aoshi?"_

_For a moment he did not answer._

'_Let me be. Let-me-be- Let-me-be-Let-me-be- Let-me-be-Let-me-be-Let-me-be-Let-me-Let-me-be-Let-me-be-Let-me-be-Let-me-be-Let-me-be-Let-me-be-Let-me-be-' she chanted again, underneath the covers._

"_No," finally yanking the covers off her._

_Kaoru was about to protest, when the look he gave her stopped her. She stared dumbly._

"_Your office is desperate to reach you. When they couldn't reach you through phone, they went all the way here to your house." He looked like he's not stopping at any moment. "Unfortunately for them, you didn't even bother to open the gates."_

_They both waited for each other._

"_Get up."_

_Kaoru, who has been staring at the wall, shifted her gaze to him, menacingly. "Look, you're standing here inside my house. Do you think you can push me around just like that?"_

_She noticed a couple of throb along his jaw. He's mad. She didn't care._

_"I said get up." He managed calmly._

_Impressing._

_But she can still manage a bite. "Who died and made you King?"_

_He wanted to laugh at the pun in her statement, yet he refrained himself._

_Since he did not even flinched, she resigned to the idea that Aoshi does not feel anything – not at all. "Let me be. Let me do things that I want to do."_

_"Let you do what? This?" he smirked. Finally. A reaction from him. "You don't get off on that goddamn bed. You don't eat. You don't even bother to take a bath, or brush your teeth. You practically did nothing, Kaoru. You spent the last four months doing nothing than curling up in that bed of yours."_

_She never heard him say so many words before, shout, or explicitly curse. If he wasn't enraged, she might have joked about it. So she answered him with a dull stare._

_"Please get up, Kaoru." She answered by lying back in her bed, and throwing the covers over her._

_He waited for her, then took the covers off her, gently this time._

_"I'm so alone, Aoshi." Kaoru crying._

_"You still have me." He answered quietly._

_What he said was quite unexpected. It made her sniff._

_He made sure that his gaze was devoid with emotions, before he could not stop himself from being drawn to her marvelously wet eyes and lashes._

_"So as Sano and Kenshin." He added before he forgot._

* * *

"_How long have you been planning this?" She asked, clearly crossed._

"_It's Sano's idea." He answered, his focus not faltering from the road._

_That morning, she thought she was only pushed on having a breakfast and taking a bath, but Aoshi managed to drag her out her house. (He said they were just going out to buy groceries.)_

_They were on their way to Aoshi's apartment to meet the others. It seemed like Sano got a brilliant idea (sarcastically speaking) of throwing a party for her: her comeback party._

_When they arrived, Megumi and Sano were at the lobby to meet them._

_When Sano spotted the two, he put a big grin on his face, and about to hug Kaoru. "Jou-chan-"_

"_Why can't you be guileless for a second?" She said with a big frown, tapping his arms away._

"_For heaven's sake, Kaoru, just wrung it off." It was Megumi. Sano smiled sheepishly._

_Before she could respond, Megumi grabbed her by the arm. They were heading outside._

"_We'll be back in two hours." Megumi said sophisticatedly._

* * *

"_Hey, where are you taking me?" Kaoru tried freeing her arm off Megumi's grip._

_Megumi did not even slow down her steps. "Nowhere you hate."_

"_What? Stop!" She tugged at her arm. "I said st-"_

"_Stop whining. We're going shopping." Megumi gritted._

* * *

"_I can't believe I fell for this."_

_It was already 9 PM. Kaoru found herself in a pair of jeans, sparkly top, and a pair of heels (All have been Megumi's choice), holding a glass of champagne, sitting in one corner of somebody else's flat._

_She looked around the room. It's not big enough. The living room (which includes a mini bar) has a partition separating it from the kitchen and the dining place. Plus there is also a loft, indicating a bedroom. The place managed to hold more than thirty people, drinking, laughing and chatting. She could only recognize her friends: Sano, was talking to Megumi and to an unfamiliar lady; while Aoshi – well, she couldn't find Aoshi inside the room._

_If she wasn't feeling jaded, she could have enjoyed the evening._

_Suddenly, she felt a presence behind where she. It was Aoshi._

"_Enjoying?" He offered a warm smile._

"_No." She focus her gaze on the crowd in front of her. "I just wished you haven't betrayed me into doing this, Aoshi."_

_He gave her his signature look again: the can't-read-what's-in-Aoshi's-mind look._

_He shrugged, "I somehow agreed with Sano that you needed something like this."_

"_But I don't know these people." She could not help but shout her words, exasperatedly._

_Sano interrupted Aoshi's response, by introducing the woman he and Megumi was talking to. Sayo Amakusa, Kaoru observed, was very beautiful: long brown hair, gentle almond-shaped eyes, smooth skin. Clearly, Sano was smitten._

_The pair excused themselves, then Aoshi whispered to Kaoru, "What do you think about the two of them?"_

_Finally, she let herself laugh. "Well, did you see him? His eyes are shaped into hearts; poor Sano. Do you know her?"_

"_I do. Her company and I have an agreement. All their employees rent here for a 10 discount."_

_She looked again at Sayo and Sano, who were in corner, sharing a drink, sharing an intimate laugh._

_Too sweet, Kaoru thought._

_Sano ran his eyes on Sayo's face; Sayo smiled back at him; a fleeting contact of their hands – purposely done or not, she was not sure._

_Then a brilliant idea struck her._

"_They look quite good together," she commented._

"_You think so?" was Aoshi's reply before they dropped the Sayo-Sano topic completely._

* * *

**After another month.  
**

"I still can't believe what you've done," Megumi ranted on.

Kaoru was taking some of her stuffs out of the box. "Yeah, me too," was all she can say.

It was the day she moved into her new home – at Aoshi's apartment building: **4B**.

Aoshi purposely gave her the flat which is next to his and near Megumi's 4D.

Kaoru did not find Aoshi's move appealing though. _"You're worse than my father," she told him. He shrugged and answered, "Well, that's what you need."_

After they settled everything – the bed, the couch, the TV, and so on, with the help of Sano – Kaoru took out some pack from the grocery bags.

"You're cooking?"

"You're joking."

Megumi and Sano said simultaneously.

Kaoru's busy hands abruptly stopped. "Sayo's living in 4C, right? I'm preparing welcome dinner for tonight."

Sano cleared his throat. "You're joking. Right?" When Kaoru made a face at him, he said quickly, "Just asking."

"Actually, Megumi will cook for us," Kaoru said, guilelessly.

"What?" Megumi squinted. "Oh, no, I don't have time for this."

"Well, you know how my cooking is -" Kaoru smiled brightly, while Sano was nodding vehemently. "And it would embarrass all of us, since I'm your friend, if Sayo choked on my food," she continued, hitting Sano in the head.

"I said no. I need to get back at the hospital for my shift –"

"What's this doing outside?" Interrupted Aoshi, a box of wine on his arms.

* * *

"Oh, so you're half Brazilian," Sano and Aoshi heard Kaoru's voice from the living room.

Popping some raisins in his mouth, Sano turned to Aoshi, "Do you mind?" He asked apologetically.

Sano was referring to the cooking chores that somehow fell upon Aoshi right after he stepped inside Kaoru's flat. Actually, he was bullied (by Megumi) and bribed (by Kaoru) into cooking – which the stoic, yet gentleman could not refused. "No, I don't mind," was the curt reply. If he was being sarcastic, Sano could not actually tell.

After an hour, dinner was ready. Kaoru helped in preparing everything, whispering 'I'm sorry. I promise I'll make it up to you' to Aoshi. Naturally he stared back.

The four of them were already seated on the table, and started eating, when Kaoru started dropping her scheme. 

"So, Sayo, what do you like look for a guy? You told me about your ex–" she trailed off, as she frowned towards the choking Sano; Sayo quickly offered him with a glass of water while stroking his back. Aoshi fixed Kaoru with a glare, which she answered, defensively, by mouthing a silent, and confused 'What?'

After Sano regained himself, Sayo answered, laughingly, "You know Miss Kaoru, as long as he's honest, understanding, and a pure gentleman, I don't really care who he is, or where he came from" she said, blushing, as if she was addressing_ someone in particular_.

"Yes, but girls like you: beautiful, intelligent, kind – the perfect package – usually end up with a guy, with same status as yours, but have less appealing attitudes than those commoners who actually know the meaning of honesty, understanding, and have deeper sense of life."

"Well, I don't really see myself as a _perfect package_–" 

"You think. But whatever you say, you're still one. Sometimes guys would be intimidated by your perfectness, so what will you do, if a guy – who is in a lower stature than yours, but is honest, understanding, and very gentleman – comes along your way? Of course he'd be intimidated, so he can't really approach you directly, even with all the good intention he have."

Sayo pondered her answer with a serious look on her face.

The two men, completely forgotten.

"If he's truly serious about me, about us, he would only do the best thing about the situation."

"And what is it?" Kaoru asked, almost triumphantly.

"Screw the class status and me being the perfect package, and swept me off my feet."

The women shared a hearty laugh.

* * *

"What the hell was that?" Sano hissed, holding back the urge to shake Kaoru onto her senses. He excused himself and Kaoru to kitchen to 'fetch the desert'.

"Why are you so affected?" Sano stopped, but nonetheless glared back. "Pay back time for all the pranks you've done to me before." She smirked.

"Kaoru." He was seriously warning her. Poor Sano.

"Swept her off her feet." She knew that he feigned the confusion that was etched on his face at what she said. "You heard her. I've done my job: set you up. Promise me to do yours," she started opening the drawer for spoons.

"You'll thank me for it."

* * *

After sharing a good wine, and several conversations, Sayo politely asked her leave, explaining that she have to finish some papers for the next day's work. Already on the door, Kaoru pushed the stunned Sano, almost knocking himself to woman who's leaving.

"Er, I guess I'm leaving too," he announced, almost automatically, flustering at the confused look on Sayo's face. "Well, I don't really want to stay with these two and be the third wheel, especially when they begin to be cuddly, and kissy, and stuffs." A hand hit his head. "Ow." 

After Sayo said her gratitude, Sano escorted Sayo to her front door. "You don't have to escort me here,"

Sayo's smile was so beautiful, Sano was utterly mesmerized. "You're right, but I want to stay with you just for a few minutes –" That did not came out right, he thought. "Er, well, to say sorry about the way Kaoru acted during dinner. She's not always like that –" He felt nervous in front of this woman. _Oh, hell._

"Don't apologize for that, because that's what I like about her. Opinionated, bold, sassy," she stopped when he started laughing. "What?"

"Nothing. I'm amazed that you like her for that."

She answered with another mesmerizing smile. "Thank you and good night to you, Sano."

He looked at her longingly. "Same to you," he answered as casually as he can.

He stayed for more seconds after she shut her door, and when he was about to turn his back, she opened the door, surprising him.

"Here's my card. If you have time to have coffee or lunch, don't hesitate to call. I'm usually free at 12 to 1."

He did nothing but nod.

This time, she waited for him to reach the stairs before she closed the door.

* * *

After the two left, Kaoru and Aoshi were silent.

They were silently clearing the dinner table, silently washing the dinner wares, and silently wiping the washed dishes.

Kaoru understood the tension between them would snap at any minute.

"So speak up." It was her.

"What do you think you were doing?" He turned toward her, dropping the wipe and the dish from his hands.

"Obviously, I was setting them up."

"What for?"

"Are you jealous?" When Aoshi frowned, confused, "Well, you can say that you like her, and tell me you should be the one I'd set up with her instead of Sano," she answered defensively.

"That's not it. Stop being tactless on things like this. It's for them to decide, not yours."

She ignored his last statement. "If it's not jealousy, then what is it?"

Before she could stop him, he started gathering his things and then headed for the front door.

Kaoru was left, very confused.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Finally. The first chapter. Such a drag in such a hard and depressing week.

Second chapter, boiling up. Grins

- Jessie Katz


End file.
